Matt Duchene has to realize it’s a long season in the NHL, but he has to be playing like a seasoned veteran every game if the Colorado Avalanche are to have success.

Duchene has given credible evidence by his early play that he’s going to be among the best in the league in future seasons, if he isn’t already. He’s only 22 and already has hit the 200-point total in his career. He’s the fourth youngest player in Colorado’s franchise history to pass the 200-point mark.

After six games, Duchene led his team in scoring with five goals and two assists for seven points. He’s likely to improve upon the impressive statistics he had from a year ago with 17 goals and 26 assists in 47 games.

The Avalanche will be relying on players like Duchene, along with others, to give their team a chance to win every game. But Duchene is going to have to mature in a hurry. The Avalanche lost 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wingson Thursday and now have to come down to earth since they’re out of the ranks of the unbeaten.

But if the Avalanche are to be a force for the rest of the season and in the playoffs, Duchene and the line which he centers, consisting also of Ryan O’Reilly and Steve Downie, are going to have to be consistently productive.

Patrick Roy can contribute to the Avalanche from the bench now that he’s the coach, but on the ice, Roy can’t do it anymore for Colorado. But Matt Duchene can, and he will emerge as a young leader for the team this season.

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